


Children of the Mountain

by uxiumin



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Religious, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Mutual Pining, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Original setting, Worldbuilding, XiuChen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26138962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uxiumin/pseuds/uxiumin
Summary: This is what friends do, right? Be there for each other.Or is this just what a dumbass in love would do?
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 17
Kudos: 34
Collections: Shall we Chen? Fictional Fest First Round





	Children of the Mountain

**Author's Note:**

> A self-prompt for SWC First Round

Jongdae hates when the streets are this crowded. 

Today is a rather important day, not for him, but for Minseok, which makes it important for him too. He should have left home earlier, woke up sooner, and slept a little more last night. But he was too tense, too worried, and too nervous to do anything of the prior.

He will have to deal with the crowded streets of Mulsan for a little longer, even if that means shoving people on his way to the lake.

Mulsan, also known as the Sacred Spring City, is a city in the vast country of Therun. There is no other city like this in the country or the world.

Built inside the Mother Mountain, Mulsan streets are wide hallways carved directly on the stone. Paper lanterns and little star-shaped carvings that emulate constellations maintain the city illuminated, also, the enormous and lush green terraces that led to the exterior won't let you feel caged, and will also gift you with amazing views of the Mother Mountain, the range and its rivers. However, the most famous and biggest attraction isn't its complicated architecture or rich attention to detail on the colorful building facades. Mulsan is home to the Sacred Spring, an abundant cascade blessed by the Goddess herself when she erected the Mountains and painted the rivers with her own fingers at the beginning of times.

Here is the only place where the fighting monks of Mulsan, the Blue Priests, can be ordained. After several years of study, practice, and training, the waters of the Sacred Spring must decide if the apprentices are worthy to change their grey robes for the indigo ones. 

Minseok has been an apprentice for three years. First of his class, praised by both classmates and masters, he has all the numbers to be chosen at today’s ceremony. Once he is inside the pristine waters of the lake under the mountain, the Goddess will let everybody know if he is worthy or not. The waters will turn turquoise if the Goddess agrees and turn black if he is unfit.

The streets under Jongdae’s feet come to an end, his breathing a little intermittent, but the view of the lake eases him. In the middle of the natural cave formed after centuries of erosion and the mighty force of the spring, there’s a platform made with rock from the mountain like everything else in Mulsan. The High Priest, with a longer and slightly darker cape than the rest of the monks, prays for Minseok’s safety with a monotone voice while moving mechanically a long golden cane with the symbol of the Goddess atop. He asks the Goddess to accept Minseok in her order, he prays for the Goddess to accept another brother in the order. Minseok is there too, on the platform, kneeling with his eyes closed. He has changed his grey apprentice attire for a white one, signaling that he is about to take the trial.

Jongdae descends the marble stairs to the lake and places himself as close to the side of the lake as he can, as close to Minseok as he can. Once the prayer is over, the High Priest bows to the Sacred Spring ceremoniously and places himself right behind Minseok. It is time. 

Even from afar, Jongdae gets to see Minseok’s trembling hands and the long inhale before moving a single inch. The doubts and fears Minseok is probably facing right now must be overwhelming, but there’s nothing Jongdae can do besides watch silently. A cheer or a yell right now could be considered a great aggravation to the Blue Priests and the Goddess. 

Jongdae watches how his best friend stands up and walks down the stairs to the cold mountain waters, how his feet enter the lake waters without hesitation. The whole city of Mulsan is there, holding their breaths and heartbeats, every time there’s a priest ceremony the entire city personates itself at the lake, to watch how a young man or woman faces the trial. 

Minseok gets his feet into the water and slowly dips in his entire body to the elbows. But the ceremony won’t be over until his head is soaked. He takes a long breath in, and after a quick glance to the crowd, he dives into the waters until not a single black hair from his head can be seen.

Jongdae feels his heartbeat stop as soon as he hears the waters moving and Minseok’s body was out of sight. 

When Minseok emerges, seconds later, the entire city claps and cheers for him. The waters turned turquoise; he had been accepted.

Minseok starts laughing and smiling, waving to the crowd and bowing to the Sacred Spring, even if he is still trembling from the cold waters, the warmth everyone displays reaches his heart and lights up his signature gummy smile.

After the ceremony, the Blue Priests offer dinner, beverages, and music to everyone in town interested, which means virtually every inhabitant of Mulsan. No one rejects a free dinner. Jongdae tries to reach his friend as quickly as he can, but there are lots of people, friends, family, and older Blue Priests congratulating him as well. It’s Minseok’s moment to shine, and Jongdae can agree that there’s no one more sparkling than Minseok, not even the sun.

A while later, Jongdae finally reaches Minseok, and without restraining himself at all, he hugs Minseok firmly, even lifting the other in the air for a second or two. Minseok’s hair is still a little wet, but he is already wearing dry clothes and enjoying a glass of beer.

“I know you could! I’m so proud of you!” - Jongdae screams while tossing Minseok’s hair everywhere.

“Jongdae, stop! I’m mad at you,” - Minseok answers with the attempt of a pout on his lips. “I can’t believe you got here late,”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” - Jongdae excuses himself. “But I got to see the important part, so… not that bad? Maybe?”

“Not that bad! I was terrified! I wanted you there to cheer me up!” - Minseok says, punching Jongdae on the left arm. “But It’s over now, so, I guess I can forgive you,”

“See, you already talk like a Blue Priest,” 

Minseok rolls his eyes dramatically at Jongdae’s comment. “I still have to face the worst part…”

“Are you scared?”

“Terrified,” - Minseok nods, sipping from his glass. “But, It’s tradition, one I must keep.”

“You’ll be fine, I’m sure. Remember when we were younger? We used to walk around the Wishing Well trail, you know the way, it can’t be that hard,”

“Don’t be silly, we used to climb only the easiest part of the trail. I have to reach the Wishing Well and come back here…” 

“Anyway,” - Jongdae says, clinking his glasses together. “That’s tomorrow’s Minseok’s problem. Today, your only duty is to finish that glass”

“That’s a tradition I can keep” - Minseok says clinking his glasses together again and taking a long sip after.

They danced, drank, and ate together until the Moon was so high in the Sky that the Mother Mountain blocked its view with her peak. Jongdae found himself relishing in the sight of a happy careless Minseok. The last three years of friendship had been hard for both of them, being an apprentice is tough and Minseok had to follow many rules that stood in the way of his social life. But just like this, with Minseok happily dancing, singing along the loud music, holding Jongdae’s hands and getting so close that their foreheads touch, Jongdae wishes that this will last forever.

However, Minseok has to rest because tomorrow he has to face the greater challenge to become a Blue Priest. The hardships and efforts of every apprentice don’t culminate with the lake ceremony, only if the Goddess gives the apprentice her seal of approval the apprentice can face the last challenge.

Tomorrow morning, Minseok, equipped with the same white clothes he used today, must climb atop of the Mother Mountain to the Wishing Well and come back with water from inside the well as a proof that he followed every step. If the climb or the steep terrain doesn’t sound hard enough, there are wargs, bears, and giant ice spiders among other beasts hiding between the crags and small groves. That’s why they train so hard. They prepare their apprentices to fight and use their inner natural power to face this trial and every other challenge, even so, it wouldn’t be the first time that an apprentice goes missing or dies during this part of the ceremony.

Minseok stated before that he is terrified, and even if he doesn’t want to talk further Jongdae knows well that Minseok won’t sleep tonight. That he will, for sure, stay awake revising every step of the map to the Wishing Well. He is a perfectionist, he has always been.

“Minseok,” - Jongdae calls his friend before Minseok leaves for his house. “Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m proud of you, you know that, right?”

Minseok approaches Jongdae with a playful smile, the result of many hours dancing and drinking. “I know, dumbass. I’m not mad anymore, you don’t need to sweet talk to me.”

“I’m saying it because it’s true!” - answers Jongdae with a heavy blush on his face.

“I know, I know,” - Minseok laughs. “I wish you could come with me. But I have to do it alone.” - he shrugs.

“Go to sleep, you are a drunk future Blue Priest.”

Minseok laughs soundly at Jongdae’s slightly pissed face and fake pout. “If something happened to me tomorrow...” - Minseok stops for a while, his eyes aimlessly looking at the ground. Jongdae knows that Minseok drank a little too much, but he shouldn’t be drunk enough to act like this, to have such serious mood changes. “I shouldn’t be doing this now, sorry. This was stupid of me.”

“What were you trying to say?” - Jongdae asks grabbing Minseok’s arm.

Minseok doubts right there for a second, his pupils frantically searching for something inside Jongdae’s eyes. “If something happens to me tomorrow I need you to know something, but it's difficult to say.”

“Just say it,”

“I can’t,” - Minseok whines. “I’m glad that we have been friends since childhood, I’m grateful for you, I’m…” - but right there, Minseok stops. “I should go to sleep.”

Jongdae lets Minseok free and watches how his friend walks alone towards his house down the street. The same street where they played during hours as kids. The same street they used to come and go to school. “I’m glad that I have met you too, Minseok.” - Jongdae says not without noticing a strong pinch inside his heart. “I’m really glad.”

Minseok only nods with a short smile before vanishing down the street. For a while, Jongdae stays there, watching the empty street, thinking if he should follow Minseok, knock on his door and do the thing he has been dreaming of doing for years now. But it’s just a dream, following Minseok to his house and kiss him, confess his feelings, tell him about how long he has been enduring this crush inside. He can’t do that to Minseok now, now he needs to rest, to get ready for tomorrow.

With that, Jongdae opens his front door and climbs up to his bed, but his body can’t sleep, nor his mind. There is a slightly itchy sensation at the base of his feet, asking him to run and face Minseok and his crush. And his heart is yelling for him to obey. But he can’t do that. Not now that Minseok’s life is about to take a challenge, not now that his love could be a burden.

Jongdae’s mind is a train wreck of thoughts coming in and out, from the craziest ones to the saddest, and it seems endless. He wishes he could do something else besides being a supportive friend, but that is also a dream, there’s nothing he can do to protect Minseok tomorrow.

Unless there is something.

* * *

The next morning everything goes as it should. At least from Minseok’s point of view.

He had a meeting with the older Blue Priests that advised him and wished him the best on his trial. He dressed in his white clothes, wishing that by the end of the day he will wear another color. A deep indigo.

No civilians are allowed to watch an apprentice leaving Mulsan to the Wishing Well, so Minseok only waves goodbye to the elders and to the city. He pronounces a “See you later” with his heart only for Jongdae.

Now that he is alone with the Mother Mountain and the thick layer of snow that covers it, Minseok doesn’t find the experience as awful as he thought, but this is the easiest part of the path. Merchants and travelers use this part of the trail to access or leave Mulsan too. Also, Minseok and Jongdae used to play here a lot, imagining that they were fierce hunters about to kill a warg as big as a tower, or Blue Priests coming back from a secret mission of the order. Those were great times. 

After an hour, the trail worsened greatly. Now the slope is more tilted than before and where it used to be flat rocks to ease every step, now the trail is nothing but a dirt track. Looking at it, Minseok has the feeling that his challenge is about to begin now and not when he departed Mulsan.

“You can do it, Minseok” - he whispers to himself, taking the first step towards the highest part of the Mother Mountain.

The apprentice has noticed more things, and the further from Mulsan he is, the more noticeable it becomes. The trail has changed, there is more snow on the trail with every step he takes and it's becoming equally slippery. He spots a few animals along the way, an eagle flying unbothered above his head and a few rabbits jumping happily towards a dense bush on the side of the way. But, there is a thing that has been following him since he left the city and its caves and the higher Minseok goes the closer he feels it.

Cautiously, the apprentice glances around. There are no large animals or magical beasts creeping around, wargs or bears don’t need to hide against an apparently defenseless human. There is only one option remaining: another human.

“Who is there?!” - Minseok screams turning around, his voice echoing in the solitude of the Mother Mountain. For a second, Minseok is afraid that his yell will cause an avalanche, but since nothing - or anyone - moves around, he asks again. “I heard you, I know you are following me, show yourself!”

Then, in the middle of the silence, a rustle comes from some bushes meters below Minseok. What comes out from them, infuriates Minseok.

“Kim Jongdae! What in heaven are you doing here?” 

“Wait, wait, I can explain” - Jongdae tries to say while a snowball lands directly on his face. “HEY!”

“What do you think you are doing? You shouldn’t be here!” - Minseok keeps yelling while approaching Jongdae, furious. “You know I’m supposed to do this alone!”

“I just wanted to watch! To see that everything is fine, I won’t interfere!”

“What?” - Minseok exclaims bewildered. “You think I need supervision? I’m stronger than you, Kim Jongdae.”

“I know, I know, but…” - Jongdae swallows. “I couldn’t just wait at home.”

Minseok exhales dramatically. He is furious with Jongdae, even if he knows that Jongdae’s intentions were good, this is not the right thing to do, he could get expelled out of the order for this, the Blue Priests could ban him forever.

“I’ll go back” - Jongdae says with a thread of a voice.

“No,” - Minseok stops him. “It will be suspicious, the Blue Priests are waiting for me at the entrance, if you came back now they’ll suspect something,”

“Should I wait here?” 

“No, you’ll freeze to death if you sit here in the snow,” - Minseok sighs. “Come with me.”

“To the Wishing Well?” - Jongdae asks worriedly. “What if someone sees us?”

“Weren’t you coming after me, anyway? There’s no difference,” - Minseok, still wearing an angry face, gets both of his hands over Jongdae’s cheeks. “Promise me right now that you won’t do anything to help me, just walk alongside me, don’t interfere. Am I clear?”

“Yessir” - Jongdae says with some difficulties and his cheeks completely red.

“Now, let’s go,” - Minseok insists, setting Jongdae free of his hands. “I have to go back by night and I’ve already lost enough time.”

Jongdae follows Minseok from a safe distance the next hours high up the Mother Mountain. Jongdae isn’t the most athletic person, and the trail has proved to be hard and steep enough to make him doubt every step along the way, but even Minseok looks tired and worried.

That last adjective makes Jongdae feel embarrassment and guilt growing inside his stomach and spreading from head to toe. 

It was stupid of him to come along, Minseok is right. This is not a field trip or picnic stroll where they can simply enjoy the stunning views of the snowy mountain range. This trip will decide Minseok’s life, his friend’s life. His crush’s life.

“I’m sorry” - Jongdae says after a long while walking in silence. “I know I messed up.”

The snow stops crunching under Minseok’s feet. “You are forgiven” - he says after a long sigh. 

“I know you” - Jongdae replies approaching Minseok. “You’re hurt.”

“Don’t do this now, Jongdae, I need my head clear,” 

“Talk to me” - Jongdae pleads, grabbing Minseok’s hand. “Please.”

“What do you want me to say?” - Minseok sighs. “I’m disappointed at you, at me… I thought you trusted me.”

“I do,”

“Yet you are here, you say you came here to help me. If I need help it’s because I’m not prepared enough, therefore you don’t trust me passing this trial.” - Minseok answers, his eyes starting to turn red in the corners. Jongdae would like to think that said redness is due to the cold temperatures, yet he knows that Minseok is hiding anger behind tears. He always does that, Minseok rarely cries, but his emotions always get out one way or another.

“That’s not true. If someone is prepared to do this, that’s you. I just… I want to be here for you. Like always. Like I’ve always been.” - Jongdae says with a thread of a voice. 

Jongdae notices Minseok’s sharp eyes on him. He usually thrives for Minseok’s attention, but right now he wishes that pair of cold eyes to be looking elsewhere. Minseok can be colder than ice. “Let’s keep moving. There’s a small grove ahead, we will make a fire and you’ll wait there for me to come back from the Wishing Well. At least this way I’ll make most of the journey alone like I was supposed to do.”

Jongdae only nods, watching how Minseok turns to face the mountain once again. Jongdae doesn’t have the stomach enough to watch at Minseok’s back the rest of the way.

  
Just as Minseok said, they entered the grove and made a small fire to keep Jongdae from getting frosted an hour or so before their last conversation. The Sun is up high, the morning has faded already, and hunger and noon appear at the same time. Gladly, Jongdae packed food enough just in case something happened along the way. 

But even if his body is reclaiming some food to fill the void and restore the lost energy after the morning hike, Jongdae feels nauseated. He doesn’t want to eat, but he needs too, so with no will at all he munches bite after bite, trying not to concern Minseok with his behavior. 

“Don’t move from here. I don’t think there is anything dangerous around, but I’ll try to be as quick as I can. We’ll be back in Mulsan for dinner, luckily” - Minseok explains while putting on his small bundle. “Try not to freeze, okay?”

Jongdae nods. “Be careful.”

Minseok turns around to leave the small campsite and Jongdae watches how his best friend leaves the grove, heading to the highest part of the Mother Mountain without him. As it should be.

He wouldn’t admit it, especially to Minseok but while waiting he couldn’t help himself, he shed a few tears fearing that their friendship would be over, fearing that Minseok wouldn’t want anything to do with him ever again.

Maybe he is being overdramatic. In Minseok’s own words, Jongdae is a specialist on the matter, but Minseok has always been a cornerstone of his life. Jongdae only wanted to be part of his most challenging moment, because that’s what friends do, right? Be there. 

Or is it just what a reckless person in love would do?

Jongdae can’t find the answers right now. Minseok always has an answer to his questions, no matter how weird they are. But Minseok isn’t here right now. There’s only the gentle fire, crackling and burning, only the snow falling silently from the tree branches, only the cold soil under his weight. 

Jongdae closes his eyes. Anyway, there’s no reason for him to be awake if his only companions right now are his endless questions and a stifling feeling of guilt inside his heart.

  
  


* * *

Step after step after step. A foot after foot. And repeat.

And look back to check if there’s still smoke coming out of the grove. Look back to check if Jongdae is still there.

“What was he thinking?” - Minseok asks himself why he kept on walking. He is annoyed, and tired, and concerned because he has left his best friend alone in a grove in the middle of a dangerous mountain. And, above all, the Wishing Well is still far, he has to keep going even if he doesn’t want to right now. He would love to yell at the silent wilderness to vent a little, but the alone idea of causing a massive avalanche prevents him from doing so.

 _Will Jongdae be okay on his own? What if a bear comes by? What if he falls asleep in the snow?_ Minseok’s head keeps spinning round and round thinking about every single possibility that could occur to Jongdae while he is on his way to the Wishing Well.

_Maybe If I had been brave enough last night and confessed he wouldn’t have followed me._

That last thought makes Minseok break suddenly, his breath leaving a column of vapor as he leaves his body to the cold. He loves Jongdae, there’s no point in denying that. But does Jongdae know?

"This is too much" - he complains out loud. The worries are nothing but an extra weigh to his already tense body. 

Jongdae has to know that he is loved, cherished, and appreciated. He has to know. But Minseok hasn’t ever stated in what ways he loves Jongdae. At least not out loud. He had loved Jongdae as a brother when they were little, he had loved Jongdae as his dearest friend all the way through their lives, but at some point, from that feeling blossomed something else. A desire to kiss Jongdae every time he sings for Minseok, a desire to hold the other every time, to watch the other smile forever, to grow together, the desire to be loved back in the same way. He can't live without him, without his stubborn and chaotic self, but also without their shared laughs and understanding gazes.

Minseok turns away once again, but this time his heart makes a leap when he realizes that there is no smoke coming from the grove, that could either mean that the fire has died down or that Jongdae is leaving without him. Minseok doesn’t take time to rationalize his options or the events going on. His feet took the lead. 

The apprentice with his tunic colored as the snow undoes all the way he did during the last couple of hours since he left Jongdae. The hidden crags under the snow make him stumble and fall on the cold snow, but it won’t stop him from getting to the grove where he left his love. He can feel himself lacking some air, his feet tired, his knees weak, and his hair soaked from all the snow, but his heart is as stronger as always, he will reach Jongdae no matter what.

“Jongdae!” - he yells as soon as he reaches the first trees. “Jongdae!” Minseok gets to see Jongdae lying there. Right where the campfire was, a good bunch of snow had fallen over it, probably from a branch. “Dae, wake up” - he says patting Jongdae’s arm softly.

“Hmm? You are back already?” - Jongdae asks with only one eye open. 

“I can’t believe you had fallen asleep in a mountain in the middle of nowhere completely alone!” - Minseok scolds him. 

“Great, another reason to be angry at me,” - Jongdae says getting up. 

“I’m not mad, dumbass,” - Minseok sighs. “Don’t you see? I went back half of the mountain to check up on you because I was worried,”

Jongdae then realizes Minseok’s looks. His hair is disheveled and humid, it still has some ice between locks. His white pants are stained with dirt and what looks like blood. He had probably fallen twice or thrice while coming down. “Does it hurt?” - Jongdae asks, pointing at Minseok’s knees.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” - Minseok sighs. “Guess I’ll have to hike up again.”

“I’m sorry you had to come back..”

“Jongdae" - Minseok exhales. Maybe this is not the best time, but Minseok fears that there won't be another time. In the end, the apprentice chooses to let his words take the lead. "if I came back it’s because I love you and I was worried about you.” - Minseok blurts out. What Minseok wasn’t expecting was Jongde’s reaction. His face wasn’t showing a tender and adorable blush, not even surprise, he had a fear expression as if he had seen the devil. “Really? I almost lost a kneecap coming down a whole ass mountain to tell you that and you look at me like that?”

“Min,”

“No, I think this is serious Jongdae,”

“Minseok, shut up and look behind you,”

Minseok does as he was told, then everything falls right in place. Jongdae had fallen asleep in a solitary grove in the middle of nowhere, far from Mulsan, far from any other human, and that attracted a predator. Its fur black as a moonless night with clear parts of it rotten showing some yellowish bones even, long fangs, a couple of impressive elk-like horns and hunger gleaming on its dark eyes. An Ice Wendigo. Of all the options, they’ve encountered probably the worst.

“Jongdae, I’ll distract him. Run,” - Minseok gets to whisper. 

“Like Hell, I won’t leave you alone now,” - Jongdae says getting closer to Minseok with a branch already on his hands. “Plus, I’m terrified, I don’t think I can run.”

The beast lets out an exhale without breaking eye contact with Minseok and Jongdae. Minseok huffs, it’s not the best time to laugh at anything, not when a whole ass Ice Wendigo is preparing its icy claws to kill them both and ear their bodies whole after. Minseok laments that the only weapon he took is just a knife. He will have to use everything he had learned during the training, that’s what this trip is for, isn’t it? The growl that came from the beast freezes both of them, it's colder than ice, the most savage and menacing thing they've heard.

"Jongdae, don't fight" - Minseok commands in a whisper. "Let that work to me."

Jongdae knows, unsure and half-frozen from the utter fear. The Ice Wendigo with its rotten parts and long fangs it's most hideous creature he had ever seen.

With a quick charge, the Ice Wendigo forces both of them to go on separate ways, Jongdae still holding the branch while pointing at the beast that chose him as the first victim.

“Hey!” - Minseok yells at the beast while taking off his bundle and outer cape. “Don’t touch a single hair of his head, monster.“ Placing his two hands together, Minseok’s eyes gleam blue while energy starts to gather around him as if the winter wind of the Mother Mountain suddenly obeyed him instead of nature.

The Ice Wendigo huffs and puffs, letting them know clear enough that he is hungry and pissed, and ready to charge again, but this time against Minseok. With a loud roar that makes Jongdae stumble, the Ice Wendigo moves quickly against Minseok that is now holding an icicle. Everything goes too fast for Jongdae, that stays quiet in horror while he watches an unknown Minseok fighting the monster. Every step Minseok takes stalagmites arose from the floor, pointy as knives. Some of them stab the Wendigo, making the beast cry and yell uncontrollably. Black blood oozes from its skin wherever Minseok hits the bullseye. But the beast isn’t defenseless. Even if Minseok is fast and powerful enough to create icicle after icicle, the Wendigo scratches Minseok a few times. Jongdae gets to see from afar some blood staining Minseok's white clothes.

“Minseok!” - Jongdae yells without thinking that it will attract the attention of the Wendigo directly to him. Blind with rage and hunger, the Ice Wendigo uses his horns against Jongdae that only has the branch to try to block the nightmare from getting him. The yells of the beast stun Jongdae and Minseok, the power of his voice makes difficult even to walk, but right when Jongdae thought that all was lost a stalagmite, taller than a person and wide as a white birch, pierces the Wendigo’s skull resulting on the death of the beast with one last deep groan that sounded like a curse.

Jongdae throws the branch away and runs to hug Minseok. He still can feel his body trembling like crazy. He was so afraid and cold, he really thought they would die right there. Breaking the hug just a little, but still holding the apprentice, Minseok looks even more tired now. But after all, he probably used a lot of his power. “I can’t believe you killed that thing!” - Jongdae says looking at the corpse of the monster

“An Ice Wendigo,” - Minseok explains. “Spirits that rot over time, cannibals… Oh, Heaven, I used a lot of power, my head's dizzy,”

“Speaking of that, why didn’t you told me you could use such power? I was terrified, but it was really cool!” 

Minseok laughs, still in Jongdae’s arms. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone while I’m an apprentice,”

“You are amazing, Minseok. Really,” - Jongdae whispers, placing his forehead against Minseok’s. “I can’t believe you confessed before we got attacked by a partially rotten monster.”

Minseok gasps loudly, surprised by Jongdae’s statement. Somehow he had hoped that Jongdae forgot his words with all the commotion. “I thought you weren’t really paying attention”

“I always pay attention to you, dumbass,” - Jongdae laughs. “Probably because I’m in love with you. I think I’ve always had a crush on you.”

Minseok laughs tenderly. “I confessed before an Ice Wendigo attacked us and you confessed with the corpse of the same Wendigo as an audience. Aren’t we adorable?”

“Couple goals,” - Jongdae answers right away, realizing his words a second before and blushing heavily, much to Minseok’s pleasure that laughed like crazy. “I mean, if you want. You know, I wouldn’t go against a religious order desires for just anyone. Also, I wouldn’t climb the Mother Mountain for anyone,”

“Just for your boyfriend?” - Minseok asks with a smirk that makes Jongdae go crazy. So crazy that he only nods. “I wouldn’t kill an Ice Wendigo just for anyone either, I think that’s a tie,”

“Then… we should.”

“Oh, Heavens, Jongdae” - Minseok frees himself from the hug and tugs Jongdae’s shirt to make both of their mouths collide. Jongdae forgets entirely about the monster’s body, about his tiredness, or the cold, the only thing that matters to him right there are Minseok’s lips against his own, their tongues making adventurous trips to the other’s mouth, exploring their first kisses while lying over the snow.

Together this time, they had to face a not-so-new problem. Minseok’s mission is still halfway done, and he can only amble now. After the fight against the Ice Wendigo his body is resenting the lack of energy and mana, so Jongdae offers himself to carry Minseok for a while on the way. With great complaints, Minseok accepts. 

Helping Minseok support himself against his own body, Minseok starts the way up across the Mother Mountain again. It’s even harder than the first time, Jongdae is tired too and that’s noticeable, but at least now there is no weight in either of their hearts to stop them. 

The Sun is low on the horizon, lower than what Minseok would’ve wanted because going back to Mulsan in the dark will be even more dangerous than the way up. But first, he has to face the Wishing Well.

There’s a myth about this place that says that when an apprentice reaches this point, the very source of the Sacred Spring and its river, the Goddess reads into your mind and speaks to your soul. What every apprentice learns from the Well is a secret only for the Goddess and said apprentice to hear. Minseok doesn’t know what to expect from the myth or its waters, the ways of the Goddess are a mystery for no one to decipher. You don’t simply ask for motivations to a God, they are all whimsical to some extent.

Minseok is supposed to grab some water from inside the Wishing Well in a small bottle the elder monks gave to him before departing and take it back with him to Mulsan as a proof.

Gathering his breathing, Minseok introduces the bottle in the waters of the Wishing Well, waiting for the Goddess to say something when a voice flows from the waters across his ears. Minseok smiles dearly and thanks the Goddess on his way out of the well. The apprentice takes a moment to look at the surrounding landscape, and especially to Jongdae, waiting near to the well. The afternoon light hits his brown hair, making it glow almost golden. _He looks like he is made on Heaven,_ concludes Minseok with a satisfied smile, knowing that without Jongdae he wouldn’t be up here.

“What did she say to you?” - Jongdae asks.

“I can’t tell,” - Minseok answers happily. “But she confirmed a thing I already knew,”

“That’s no fun, I was expecting some cryptical prophecy or something like that!” 

Minseok laughs, “It was a prophecy, of some sort, but I can’t say anything else.”

Jongdae pouts at the news. “Have your secrets then” - he dismisses the topic. “While you were up there I had an idea.”

“An idea for what?” 

“You aren’t in the best condition to walk back to Mulsan, and soon it will be nighttime… But there might be a way for us to get there faster,”

“What is it?” - Minseok asks curiously, he could use any help to get back quicker.

“Have you ever tried snowboarding before?”

* * *

  
  
Jongdae was right. That afternoon, atop a snowboard made of pure ice, both of them descended the Mother Mountain between hysterical waves of laughter and screams every time a hidden rock forced them to make a jump. Jongdae felt like a kid right there, laughing while Minseok’s arms circled him tenderly with the sunset guiding them home. Jongdae knew right there that he would always cherish this moment, the sight of the valley and the range under their improvised snowboard, the setting sun heating their cold and bruised skins, the flavor of a kiss still lingering, and above all the laughter of Minseok while encircling him.

When they reached Mulsan’s entrance, Jongdae had to wait outside until Minseok finished talking to the other monks that were waiting for his return. Luckily for both of them, no one noticed Jongdae’s departure from town that very morning. As soon as Minseok's superiors were convinced that Minseok had passed the trials, they sent him right to the infirmary to check his still open wounds and Jongdae was able to come into town without anyone suspecting. That was close.

As penitence for interrupting Minseok's trial, Jongdae made sure that he kissed every bruise on Minseok’s knees, and every scratch the Ice Wendigo made on his porcelain skin. It was tough work, in Jongdae’s opinion, but someone had to do it. He even kissed untouched and unbruised parts. But Minseok never complains, nor does Jongdae. Days after their return, as soon as Minseok was able to walk straight again without help, Minseok was ordained as a Blue Priest, and now he can proudly wear his blue clothes like the rest of the order. He works for the order now, teaching new apprentices, improving his own skills, and from time to time he has to travel across the country in missions for the order. Those are the worst times because Jongdae has to sleep alone for several nights in a row, but when Minseok comes back to Mulsan, he always makes up for it. Always.

Jongdae asked a thousand times about what the Goddess said to Minseok. And Minseok never tells, not even when Jongdae pulls out his famous pout and puppy eyes. After all, it’s a secret between Minseok and the Goddess, and above that Minseok can’t afford the idea of dealing with Jongdae if he knew what she said to him.

That what makes Minseok’s heart as pure as snow is his love for Jongdae. That just like the Mother Mountain their ties are unwavering.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> This wasn't at all what I had planned to write for this fest, but this idea came along the way while dealing with a massive writer's block. In the end, I decided to submit it so I hope that you, reading this, enjoyed it. I know it's a crazy idea, but I put work on it!
> 
> Leave a kudo or a comment if you feel like it! They'll be greatly appreciated!


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